Beer – #822 – Panhead – Weedeater

Panhead Custom Ales Weedeater (IPA). I have had this on tap and didn’t write about it, but it was an astonishingly good beer. Oily, rich, grassy, pungent, delightful and all that. I’d been in a funk and couldn’t sit and write whilst I had a drink, but I had it a couple of times from a fill station, and there aren’t many beers where I go back for more, this was one of them.

Don’t mistake the name to be as enjoyable as gardening.

In a 330ml bottle a beer that is 7% ABV, around 210 calories a serve size, with 90 IBU and it’s about 1.8 standard drinks worth.

Let’s face it if DOC (Dept. of Conservation) saw how quickly the humble hop rhizome can turn into a six metre aromatic jungle they might be tempted to slap an order on it.

I laughed, it was serious though

Fortunately, New Zealand has elected to be infested with Old Man’s Beard and tradescantia instead, leaving the farmers of Motueka as the sole guardians of our favourite vine.

This beer is heavily dosed with a weed you wish you found in your garden. Nelson Sauvin hops aka fresh Nelson Sauvin straight from the vine and add it to rye and wheat malts.

It should be enough to expand your cosmic horizons

So, what could possibly go wrong? Another cap in the cap jar, which is about to get its own story, it should in theory only have 212 caps in it 🙂

Hop burst of grass on opening.

Pale yellow on opening with a scarce head. Aroma is just thick oily grass.

Taste has much of what I remember but it is missing the brightness and freshness I remember, that really bursting oily fullness, the bottle just does not have it.

Such a pity, this was a beer I set aside for the lucky last, based on the tap version, and it is close and almost the same but then it isn’t and it is a different beer.

That oily hop juice thing, but not as abrupt or urgent about it. Like having 5 out of 6 numbers in the lotto draw.

Thepdubyah-o-meterrates this as 8 of its things from the thing. Like a kiss from grandma, you know you have to, it could be the last time, and you remember those really good times. This is almost a shadow of the fresh on tap version, but it is still feisty and has a lot of itself about it, the oily nature of the mouthfeel, the wonderful taste, the aroma, colour and it really is a nice drinking beer. Just not the same. For me.

The double dip review

Where did I get it? from the GABS2016 pack at Liquorland

Am I enjoying it? I wanted so much more to enjoy it so much more.

Would I have another? a rare beer where I went back and did actually buy more, I hope they make another keg, just for me.

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Fresh is best, the bottle version has a lot going for it thought, that amazing oily hop juice thing is amazing, and the overall taste is startling. Like all limited beers though this is done and dusted.

INDIA PALE ALE & IPA

India Pale Ale gets its name and unique style from British brewers who were making beer for export to India. This style has an intense hop flavor which was used to preserve the beer for the long voyage. India Pale Ale has a golden to copper color with a medium maltiness and body. The aroma is moderate to very strong. IPAs work especially well at cutting the heat of chili, vindaloo or Sichuan cuisine.

2 comments on “Beer – #822 – Panhead – Weedeater”

It was a good idea, I got a size bigger that I thought, and said to MrsPhil that when it was full of unique caps I’d be done with the beers, I had to empty it and take out the double ups to make more room and give me some more weeks, I will take some picks and post them soon, also I corks in and they take up a lot more room.